Complete one practice method every day

Chen Yue was intentionally or unintentionally forgotten in the backyard. Tu Shan would occasionally walk by with his hands behind his back, his gaze lingering on Chen Yue for a moment, as if confirming whether an object was still in its proper place.

Chen Yue knew in his heart that there had probably been a change in the matter of helping out at Linquan Danfang.

In the evening, Xiao Liu, the most favored apprentice in Tu Shan's eyes, strolled over to the corner where Chen Yue was sorting medicinal herbs.

He leaned against the drying rack, watching Chen Yue meticulously sort the Codonopsis pilosula according to its quality. Every now and then, Chen Yue would stop and casually strike a pose like the starting stance of the Iron Mountain Fist, stretching his stiff muscles.

Xiao Liu chuckled softly, just loud enough for Chen Yue to hear: "Hey, Chen Yue, still practicing? You're really working hard. Are you waiting for some... good news?"

Chen Yue paused almost imperceptibly in his sorting motion.

He didn't look up, but the undisguised mockery and the sense of superiority of someone in the know were crystal clear in Xiao Liu's words.

It turned out to be the case.

It wasn't that Chen Lin forgot, nor that Lin Quan suddenly had an abundance of manpower. It was that someone didn't want him to go.

Chen Yue continued his work, gently placing a high-quality ginseng root into the corresponding bamboo tray. His face remained expressionless, as if he hadn't heard Xiao Liu's words or even seen him.

Xiao Liu's mocking expression froze for a moment. He had wanted to see Chen Yue's panicked, angry, or at least anxiously questioning expression, as that would have made him enjoy the feeling of manipulating someone else's expectations even more.

But Chen Yue's unyielding attitude and complete disregard for him left him feeling frustrated, like punching cotton.

"snort!"

Xiao Liu, feeling bored, snorted and walked away.

The night was deep. Chen Yue lay on the crowded communal bed, the sounds of snoring rising and falling around him. He stared at the smoke-blackened beams above him, his thoughts churning.

What path should we take next?

The first path, like now, is to continue cultivating silently, relying on the daily settlements on the panel, so that his Iron Mountain Fist and martial arts cultivation can still steadily improve.

However, while his ability to identify medicinal herbs had reached a high level, his medical skills stagnated due to his inability to access the front hall. More importantly, he remained an ordinary apprentice, completely controlled by Tu Shan.

The second path is to proactively seek change.

The purpose of the pharmacy teaching its apprentices Iron Mountain Fist was to select promising talents and train them as bodyguards. Once they broke through the martial arts apprentice level, they could apply to become bodyguards at the pharmacy, and their status and treatment would be completely different.

More importantly, the guards of the pharmacy were under the jurisdiction of Chen Lin, the manager of the front hall, not Tu Shan in the back.

Chen Lin's initiative in recommending Chen Yue that day indicates his approval of Chen Yue's diligence and ability to identify medicinal herbs. The subsequent silence clearly suggests that Tu Shan intervened.

For Chen Lin, it was naturally unnecessary to sever Tu Shan's reputation for the sake of an apprentice whose value had not yet been proven.

But what if this apprentice demonstrates martial arts cultivation at the Skin Refining Realm?

Just as I was pondering this, the ripples of midnight began right on time.

Daily Settlement

[Practice Iron Mountain Fist diligently; Iron Mountain Fist experience +50, cultivation +5]

[Skill: Iron Mountain Fist (Perfect 60/400)]

New information flooded into my mind, and at the same time, a soft "boom" sounded inside my body, as if some kind of shackle had been broken.

The warm air in his dantian suddenly surged and spun, transforming into a scorching torrent that instantly swept through his limbs and bones!

Chen Yue's skin instantly became burning hot, turning an abnormal flush, and even faint white steam rose from his pores. Fortunately, the night was deep and no one noticed.

The intense heat lasted for about ten breaths before slowly subsiding. As the heat subsided and returned to his dantian, circulating slowly along its predetermined path, Chen Yue felt an unprecedented surge of power fill his entire body.

He slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking, his muscles tensing, containing a strength far greater than ever before. What invigorated Chen Yue even more was that the chilling aura that had occasionally seeped from the black spot on his chest was now largely suppressed by the newly generated power of his blood and qi.

The black spots did not shrink, but Chen Yue had a clear intuition that, under the continuous suppression of his own qi and blood, the speed at which this thing was spreading had slowed down significantly.

The words "Martial Apprentice" have disappeared from the panel, replaced by "Skin Refining Realm (1/300)".

This is the first formal stage of martial arts training, meaning he has truly stepped into the threshold of becoming a martial artist, albeit only at the most basic level.

However, the cultivation points given in today's settlement are less than usual. During the Martial Apprentice stage, practicing Iron Mountain Fist diligently every day can bring about a cultivation point increase of about 10 points in the settlement.

Today's settlement resulted in a cultivation increase of only 5 points, reducing efficiency by half. Chen Yue suspected that Iron Mountain Fist might be lagging behind.

The next morning, the sun was shining brightly, and it was the busiest time in the front hall. Taking advantage of the opportunity to deliver a batch of newly processed medicinal herbs to the medicine cabinet in the front hall, Chen Yue quickly scanned the slightly noisy hall and soon locked onto his target.

Chen Lin was standing behind the counter, talking quietly with an old customer. He was wearing a dark blue silk shirt, which was quite different from the coarse cloth shorts worn by the other shop assistants.

Chen Yue did not step forward immediately, but patiently sorted and placed the medicinal herbs in their respective categories, his movements swift and precise.

Only after the regular customer nodded and left, and Chen Lin rubbed his temples and picked up the tea that had long since gone cold, did Chen Yue quickly walk over, stop three steps away from the counter, and bow slightly.

"Manager Chen."

Chen Lin looked up and saw Chen Yue. His brows twitched almost imperceptibly, but were quickly replaced by a faint aloofness. He put down his teacup and asked in a neither loud nor soft voice, "What is it?"

He thought Chen Yue had come to inquire about the Linquan Danfang, and he grew somewhat impatient.

"Reporting to Steward Chen, I, Chen Yue, have recently been practicing the Iron Mountain Fist taught in the shop, and my physique and strength have increased considerably. I may have already broken through to the Skin Refining Realm by sheer luck. I have come to report this to you, Steward, and request your verification."

Chen Lin's hand, which was holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

He looked at Chen Yue, the impatience in his eyes replaced by surprise.

Skin Refining Realm?

Apprentices at Huichuntang are all taught Tieshanquan (Iron Mountain Fist), a rule of the pharmacy, both to strengthen their bodies and to select promising talents.

As the manager of the front hall, he also paid attention to the selection of guards, and he had a general idea of ​​the few promising talents in the back courtyard who had some skill in martial arts.

This absolutely does not include Chen Yue, who is standing right in front of us.

Chen Lin leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening as he carefully examined Chen Yue.

The boy's face was still somewhat pale, and his figure was not particularly robust, but his posture was steady and his eyes were clear, quite different from his previous timid and cowering demeanor.

Chen Lin slowly said, "Chen Yue, do you know what the consequences are for exaggerating your cultivation level and falsely claiming a breakthrough in front of me?"

According to the rules of the pharmacy, those who speak falsely or deceive superiors will be severely punished, and in serious cases, expelled.

Chen Yue met Chen Lin's scrutinizing gaze, his face showing only calm composure: "This humble one dares not speak presumptuously."

Chen Lin stared at him for a few moments, then tapped his fingers lightly on the countertop.

The Skin Refining Realm... If this is true, an apprentice who breaks through to the Skin Refining Realm through hard work is far more valuable than a mere apprentice who is good at fetching medicine.

Previously, Tu Shan had some reservations about Chen Yue and suppressed him, preventing him from going to Lin Quan's place. That was an internal matter among the apprentices in the backyard. Chen Lin could give Tu Shan face, after all, Chen Yue was just an ordinary apprentice at that time.

However, if Chen Yue really becomes a martial artist at the Skin Refining Realm, he can apply to become a guard according to the rules.

The rules of the pharmacy must not be broken; this is something the owner has always emphasized.

"it is good."

Chen Lin said no more, straightened up, and beckoned to a capable guard beside him, "Liu Tang, come here."

The guard named Liu Tang stepped forward in response. He was about thirty years old, with a rugged face and sharp eyes. He was a master of the Skin Refining Realm.

Chen Lin said to Chen Yue, "Let's go to the backyard, it's more spacious there."

The three of them, one in front and two behind, walked through the corridor and arrived at the backyard.

It was the busiest time of the morning, and when the apprentices saw Manager Chen with Guard Liu and Chen Yue following behind, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat awkward.

Tu Shan happened to be out of the backyard at that moment, and it was unknown where he had gone.

Chen Lin stopped by the courtyard, glanced at the apprentices who were gradually stopping their work, and nodded slightly to Chen Yue: "Let's begin, Liu Tang, watch over."

"Yes."

Chen Yue responded, walked to the center of the open space, took off his outer shirt, leaving him in only a thin gray short jacket. He took a deep breath, his eyes calmed down, and he assumed the starting stance of the Iron Mountain Fist.

The next moment, a sudden gust of wind rose from the fist!

No longer the furtive, furtive movements of the past, nor the stiff, awkward stance of a beginner. Chen Yue moved with perfect harmony between his waist and stance, his steps shifting with his body, each punch and kick brimming with power.

Every move and stance is full of power. This is by no means a mere showmanship, but rather the result of true mastery, where the flow of qi and blood can be initially integrated into the limbs, causing the muscles and bones to resonate.

The apprentices around were all stunned.